It wasn’t as if Dominique Collier was planning for the top of his skilled taking part in profession.
Sadly for the previous Colorado level guard, destiny proved in any other case.
Spurred largely by diminished alternatives abroad brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Collier discovered himself again in his native Denver now not taking part in for a paycheck whereas pondering the following transfer in his basketball journey.
Teaching was the reply.
Since his taking part in days ended abruptly, Collier has been an assistant coach at Accelerated Prep (previously Denver Prep), the native prep faculty that helped produce present CU freshman ahead Assane Diop.
“I used to be nonetheless attempting to play at the moment, however with me not taking part in the earlier yr and a half, that harm me getting again abroad. That’s after I obtained into teaching,” Collier mentioned. “I used to be nonetheless attempting to play on the similar time. That’s after I obtained into teaching at Denver Prep, after which through the years I actually obtained into the teaching scene.
“I take a look at it as each a possibility and a problem.”
At Accelerated Prep, Collier helped tutor Diop in addition to classmate Baye Fall, presently a freshman at Arkansas. Diop typically participated in pickup video games round Denver even with Collier earlier than each of them landed at Accelerated Prep.
Given Diop is starting a journey much like the one undertaken by Collier as an area prep star (at Denver East) who performed collegiately at CU, the previous Buffs guard has been a supply of knowledge for the freshman ahead.
“I’ve been telling him each time I see him, ‘You’re participant. I don’t know why you’re not taking part in proper now.’ As a result of he’s actually good,” Diop mentioned. “When he obtained to the prep faculty, he would preserve me there possibly 20 minutes (after apply), giving me stuff to do. He’s been very useful, for positive.”
At CU, Collier was the start line guard as a sophomore for the Buffs’ 2015-16 NCAA Event group, however he adjusted to a bench position and an off-guard place the next yr when Derrick White took over the purpose, and Collier remained in that type of position as a senior when McKinley Wright IV assumed the purpose guard spot.
Collier additionally performed professionally in Germany, and it’s that vary of experiences he believes has given him a depth of knowledge to share with prep standouts hoping to take the following step.
“I wish to take it so far as I may go along with it,” Collier mentioned of his teaching targets. “I feel I’ve nice information of the sport, after which being a participant and the type of participant I used to be. I wasn’t essentially the most athletic or the quickest or none of that. So I needed to actually assume the sport. I carry that (to teaching), simply my information and taking part in in several conditions.
“I used to be a starter. I got here off the bench. I used to be some extent guard, I used to be a capturing guard. So I performed a variety of completely different roles in faculty and I understand how it really works. And that’s their purpose — they arrive to prep faculty to go to varsity and play on the subsequent degree. So I’m attempting to show them daily simply how that’s and what coaches are on the lookout for to be recruited. It’s simply a variety of the little issues that I’m attempting to instill in them proper now.”
Notable
The Buffs misplaced 20 factors on this week’s Related Press Prime 25 vote however moved up one spot among the many others receiving votes, unofficially touchdown at No. 27. … The CU girls stay at No. 8 this week.